A wilder side of Sentosa awaits discovery, where guests get up-close with a diversity of wildlife from sea creatures to nocturnal creepy crawlies like glowing scorpions.
SentoSights tours
A wilder side of Sentosa awaits discovery, where guests get up-close with a diversity of wildlife from sea creatures to nocturnal creepy crawlies like glowing scorpions.
Why
In celebration of its Golden Jubilee this year, Sentosa Development Corporation will be rolling out a host of commemorative offerings. The first of these is a collection of 10 sustainability- and heritage-themed guided tours on Sentosa dubbed SentoSights, with two routes including the Southern Islands.
These tour initiatives are part of the Sustainable Sentosa strategic roadmap, which focuses on six key areas to realising the island’s dual goals of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030 and becoming a globally-recognised, certified sustainable tourism destination.
What
We were treated to a condensed version of both the Sentosa Intertidal Exploration and Sentosa Naturalist Night Adventure tours, led by local wildlife tour company The Untamed Paths.
The city slicker in us was thrilled to discover Singapore’s flourishing biodiversity during the Intertidal Exploration tour. The receding tide exposed a fascinating range of resident marine life – from frogs and fish, to coastal crustaceans and otherworldly-looking echinoderms – teeming in tide pools along the shoreline.
Other sea creatures we spotted during our leisurely evening walk included elbow crabs, teddy bear crabs, hermit crabs, and acorn worms.
Our guide Christina also called to our attention other animals such as a white-bellied sea eagle soaring above our heads, as well as a translucent sea anemone hidden among the stones. She also pointed out the remnants of a horseshoe crab shell, a jellyfish carcass, and other tiny critters.
Christina shared that some of the more exciting sightings on her other walks included octopuses, squids, stingrays and starfish. We learnt that exploring intertidal flats at different times of the day during low tide, or at other locations like Pulau Ubin and Pasir Ris, would yield different animal sightings.
After dark, I was treated to the soothing sounds of a rainforest symphony and several sightings of nocturnal animals during the Naturalist Night Adventure tour. Armed with an ultraviolet (UV) torch, Christina scoped out several Asian toads, red-tent spiders resting on their intricate webs, and scorpions which glowed under the UV flashlight.
Verdict
These tours are not just for wildlife lovers and nature enthusiasts, but anyone who desires a natural respite from urban life or residents who yearn to explore the lesser-trekked sights of the city-state. We learnt a lot about the intertidal ecosystem, as well as how to be more observant of our natural surroundings, as we’ll never know what we’ll be able to spot.
Rate: S$90.95 (US$67.70) per pax for each tour. Corporate tours can also be arranged upon request.
Dates: Various dates and times are available for the Sentosa Intertidal Exploration tour, with details to be released progressively; while the Sentosa Naturalist Night Adventure tour runs every Saturday, from 19.30 to 21.00.
Website: www.sentosa.com.sg/en/deals/promos/sentosights